Love Bug Cupcakes

Love Bug Cupcakes

Aren't these the cutest cupcakes ever??

Ingredients
1 box (18.25 ounce) devil's-food cake mix
1 cup buttermilk
1/3 cup vegetable oil
4 large eggs
2 cans (12 ounce each) whipped vanilla frosting
Pink icing color
Clear crystal sugar
Tootsie Roll Midgees, yellow Laffy Taffy candies, black licorice lace, red and yellow jellied candies, M&M Minis, and Junior Mints
1 can (16 ounce) chocolate frosting

Directions
1. Line 24 muffin tins with cupcake liners. Prepare cupcake batter using cake mix, 1 cup buttermilk, 1/3 cup oil, and 4 eggs. Bake as directed on box. Let cupcakes cool completely. Tint vanilla frosting light pink using icing color. Frost cupcakes with pink icing. Roll edge of each cupcake in crystal sugar.
2. To decorate Bumblebees: Cut and shape Tootsie Rolls and Laffy Taffy into small rounds. Alternate two brown pieces and two yellow ones for body and head. Attach two pieces of licorice for antennae to the brown end to complete head, and slice a yellow fruit jelly in half for the wings.
3. To decorate Ladybugs: Place chocolate frosting in a freezer-weight zip-top bag and snip off one corner. Pipe a mound of chocolate icing in center of each cupcake. Slice a red jelly in half for the wings; place on top of chocolate icing. Attach M&M Minis to wings using frosting. Attach a Junior Mint for the head and two black licorice pieces for the antennae.

Sweets for your Sweetie

I found a great idea the other day while browsing One of a Kind Gifts

These girls have TONS of cute ideas to browse so, I've borrowed one of their ideas to share with all of you. Visit their site by clicking on the link above... You won't be sorry!

You may have noticed that Ben & Jerry's has many fun, non-traditional flavors of ice cream. For the ice-cream lover in your life, look no further!


(Click to enlarge)

I hope your Sweetie enjoys!

Conversation Hearts Just For YOU!

This website is TOO FuN!!

These are not your typical, edible conversation hearts, but I happen to think they are WAY better!

Personalize these hearts to fit you, choose the color & WAH-LAH!

A special heart, just for my Hottie Husband!

Here's the link...

http://www.cryptogram.com/hearts/

Create Away!

"I'm Sorry"... It CAN be easy to say!

Let's face it... Although we would like it to be, marriage can't always be lovey-dovey. Most of the time, marriage will be incredibly amazing; however, there WILL be those times where you make each other so stinkin' mad.

Things will be said that shouldn't be said and an apology will be in order. "I'm Sorry" is never easy to say and the words do not always come naturally (yes, even for me!). So, look to these creative ways to express your apology.

(Click on photo to enlarge)


I just love these ideas!!

In fact, I might just look for a reason to make my honey mad, so that I can try a few! ;-)

Creative Cookie Bouquets

Who needs a bouquet of flowers, when you could have a bouquet of cookies?

How cute are THESE??

Found here on Woman's Day... These would be perfect for a class/work party!

Valentine's Day Sweetheart Sanitizers

Valentine's Day Sweetheart Sanitizers

These will make the PERFECT teachers' gifts!

"Just A Girl" made some Valentine's Day Sweetheart Sanitizers.

One Word... GENIUS!

BEING a Mom and living in an H1N1 world, I can tell you that HAND SANITIZER is a MUST! Not only is this idea great for teachers, you can easily use this idea for ANY occasion and turn it into a present. Just decorate (scrapbook) the outside of hand soap, lotion, etc. and you have a FUN gift!

She gives more details if you click on the link above.

Have fun!

*tpj

Double Dipped Strawberries

What's Valentine's Day without Double Dipped Strawberries?!

They are sweet, simple and the PERFECT after dinner dessert.

Double Dipped Strawberries

Ingredients
1-1/2 cups semisweet-chocolate chips
1/4 cup white-chocolate chips
1 pound strawberries

Directions
1. In separate bowls, heat chocolate chips in a microwave on medium, stirring every 20 seconds until chocolate is melted.

2. Dunk strawberries in semisweet chocolate. Shake off any excess back into bowl and place on a wax-paper-lined baking sheet. Refrigerate 5 minutes.

3. Place berries in mini cupcake liners. Using the tines of a fork, drizzle melted white chocolate over berries. Refrigerate 5 minutes and serve.

Enjoy!

*tpj

Candy Nugget Box

Being the Crop-a-Holic I am, I happen to thing these are absolutely adorable!

What a great way to jazz up a boring piece of chocolate!

Candy Nugget Box

Supplies Needed:
Cardstock for box base
Paper for dressing up finished box and nuggets
Ribbon
Adhesive
Scor-Pal tool or other Scoring system
Scissors or craft knife

Instructions:
1. Follow the detailed instructions for the “Candy Nugget Boxes” that can be found by following this link to the scor-pal site:http://www.scor-pal.com/basics/index_files/Page406.htmYou can click and print the tutorial that will walk you through each step to make the box base. Don’t get overwhelmed when you first read the instructions. It is very simple to make if you just take it one step at a time.

2. Once you have completed the box base, you can cut patterned paper and ribbon to decorate the outside of the box. She also decorated each nugget with patterned paper to match.

3. Fill box with nuggets and give to someone sweet! (But not me, because I am on a diet... HaHa!)

*tpj

Heart Kabobs

A Simple & Sweet idea the kiddos will love! Genius!!

Heart Kabobs

Ingredients:
1 cantaloupe
1 honeydew melon
1/2 watermelon
1 container (6 ounce) plain low-fat yogurt
1 tablespoon frozen orange-juice concentrate, thawed
1 tablespoon honey

Directions:
1. Cut fruit into 1-inch-thick slices. Using a small heart-shaped cookie cutter, cut hearts from melon slices. Poke a hole in each heart with a toothpick, going from top to bottom. Then thread fruit on ice-pop sticks.
2. Make dip: Stir together yogurt, orange juice concentrate, and honey until well combined. Serve with hearts.

Enjoy!

*tpj

Strawberry Cherry Smoochies

Isn't everything better with a cherry on top?

These Strawberry Cherry Smoochies are perfect for Valentine's Day! (I think they are perfect for all of the other days too!!) ;-)

Strawberry Cherry Smoochies

Ingredients:
1 cup white-chocolate chips
Strawberry frozen yogurt**
Maraschino cherries

Directions:
1. Place 6 foil cupcake liners in muffin pan. Place white chocolate chips in a bowl and microwave for 1 minute on medium heat. Stir to melt. If needed, microwave in 10-second intervals on medium heat until fully melted.

2. Using the back of a spoon, spread chocolate across bottom of foil cup, then spread the chocolate up the cup's side. Repeat to make 6 cups. Refrigerate until set, about 10 minutes.

3. Peel foil from chilled cups. Place a scoop of frozen yogurt in each cup, and top with a cherry. Once assembled, keep frozen for up to 2 hours.

Tip: If you don't have white chocolate chips, regular ones are tasty too.

**If your local grocery store has Cherry Frozen Yogurt or Raspberry Frozen Yogurt, these will also work! You gotta love a recipe that allows you to adjust the ingredients to fit your tastebuds!

Enjoy!

*tpj

(I found this recipe in a magazine a few years ago... If I can locate the magazine, I will post an update. However, I believe it was the trusty BHG magazine.)

I DiG You!

This is the CUTEST little Valentine's Day gift!

I have a few other things that I am already making, but this is a great idea for next year.

This project came from"It's All In My Head."

VERY talented lady...with a thing for "Stampin' Up" stuff!!

Butterfly Pops

Talk about ADORABLE!!

These are the sweetest Valentine's & I am going to make them right away!!

The pattern for these Butterfly Pops can be found on Skip to My Lou.....FUN printables for Valentine's Day!

Here's My Version... (Click on Photo to view larger)

Talk about CAUUUUTE!!

*tpj

Sweet Heart Soaps

I've never made homemade soaps, but have always wanted to and these might just be the ones to get me going.

Sweetheart Soaps

LOVED these heart soaps....from Martha Stewart.

You can find instructions & a supply list here

and a video of her actually doing it here.

Passion Pops

Back to the Valentine's Day Ideas... These are SO MUCH FUN!!

I will be posting 3 - 4 Valentine's Day ideas weekly, so keep checking back!

PASSION POPS

Ingredients:
15 caramel squares
32 vanilla wafers
16 lollipop sticks
1 cup semisweet- or milk-chocolate chips
Valentine sprinkles

Directions:
1. Melt unwrapped caramels in a microwave according to package directions. Working quickly, spoon small dollops of caramel onto 16 wafers. Place a lollipop stick in center, and top each with another wafer to make a cookie sandwich.

2. Melt chocolate chips according to package directions. Dunk each cookie sandwich in chocolate and shake to remove excess. Top lollipops with sprinkles and place onto wax-paper-lined baking sheet. Chill for 5 to 10 minutes or until firm.

Blocks of Love

Blocks of Love

I just had to share this SUPER cute idea that I found while visiting a fellow blogger! I would LOVE to do this as part of my Valentines Day decor this year!!

I found this great project HERE.

They were even wonderful enough to include instructions. What NICE gals!

MATERIALS

{4} 6"x 6" wood blocks

{2} wood X's

{2} wood O's

{2} pink coordinating papers

{14} eye hooks

{2 fl. oz.} white paint

{3} colors of coordinating ribbon

DIRECTIONS

Step 1} Paint X's, O's & wood blocksStep

2} Cut paper to size, leaving edges exposedStep

3} Decoupage papers onto woodStep

4} Glue X's & O's onto decoupage-d paper blocksStep

5} Screw eye hooks into tops & bottoms of woodStep

6} Embellish with ribbon

Super Simple, Super ADORABLE!!

Sweet, Simple Card

I want to get back to crafting, I really do!! I have been so busy that I just haven't had the time to sit down and get creative. However, the craziness has not stopped me from being inspired and wanting to share some of the ideas that I've stumbled across while visiting blogs.

Since the stores are getting ready for Valentines, I thought I'd share a few Valentines ideas over the next few weeks.

Hope you enjoy!!

I just thought this was a SWEET, SIMPLE and oh-so-CUTE card.



Found over at Capture the Moment

If you enjoy making your own cards, you will find all sorts of inspiration at Capture the Moment.

Check back often for fun ideas and new recipes! Enjoy!!

*tpj